The present application corresponds to Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 5-245899 filed on Sep. 6, 1993 and Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 6-74429 filed on Mar. 18, 1994, which are hereby incorporated by reference into the present application.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bracket, and more particularly, to a radiator support bracket that is used to form a dynamic damper with a radiator as a mass member.
2. Description of the Related Arts
A conventional radiator support bracket is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,168.
FIGS. 14 and 15 herein illustrate such a conventional support bracket that holds a radiator on a vehicle frame elastically, and forms a dynamic damper that uses a radiator as a mass member, and reduces vibration of a front frame of the vehicle.
In FIGS. 14 and 15, radiator R has a protrusion R1 that extends below the radiator and that is coupled to a lower support bracket 4. The lower bracket 4 has a metal base member 41 that is fixed on a front cross member F1 of the vehicle, and a rubber member 42, that covers an opening of the base member 41 and is comparatively thick. The rubber member has a fixing hole at the center in which the protrusion R1 is inserted.
Right and left sides of the upper end of radiator R are held by respective upper support brackets 5. Each upper support bracket 5 has a metal arm portion 52 that extends from a base portion 51, which is fixed to a radiator support member F2, and a metal support plate 53 bent in an inverted U-shape and fixed to the under side of the arm portion 52. The arm portion 52 is bent to accommodate the shape of the metal support plate 53. A comparatively thin rubber member 54 is provided in the support plate 53. A hold plate 55, which has an inverted U-shape, is connected to the rubber member 54, and holds the radiator R along its upper edge portion. Thus, the radiator R is supported elastically on the front cross member F1 and the support member F2 by the upper and lower support brackets 4 and 5, respectively, and operates as a mass member of a dynamic damper to restrict vibration of the front of the vehicle.
However, as the support brackets 4 and 5 have rubber members 42 and 54, many steps such as vulcanized bonding of these members with a metal part, coating of bonding agent, molding by mold, or deburring are required. In addition, the cost of rust-proof coating is high. Therefore, manufacturing cost becomes high.